Field Report: Myth and history at Izumo, Japan (06 July 2015)

Although the long ride from Tōkyō to Shimane Prefecture on one of Japan’s last sleeper trains was almost an attraction in itself, that epic journey was but a means to an end. The end, of course, being the small but incredibly historic city of Izumo, which hosts one of the country’s oldest and most importantContinue reading “Field Report: Myth and history at Izumo, Japan (06 July 2015)”

Field Report: Dazaifu, Japan (24 March 2015) – Part 1 of 2

Fukuoka may be the nexus of power and prestige in modern-day Kyūshū, but over a millennium ago, that distinction belonged to another city located several miles to the southeast. Although reduced to a quiet suburb of the island’s sprawling present-day capital, one might say that Dazaifu merely traded one cloak for another: transforming from aContinue reading “Field Report: Dazaifu, Japan (24 March 2015) – Part 1 of 2”